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Clinics & Services

The practice nurses offer a full range of services in our treatment room, including

Diabetic Clinic

Asthma Clinic

Cardiovascular Clinic

Blood Tests

Wound Dressing

Suture Removal

Dietary Advice

Blood Pressure Checks

Smoking Cessation

Cervical Smears

Ear Syringing

Immunisations

Travel Vaccines (for which there may be a charge)

Well Person Clinic

Sexual Health Advice

Additional Services

Child Health Surveillance - Children are called for assessment during their first four years and these are performed by doctors and health visitors. Baby Immunisation clinics are held weekly on a Thursday between 12:00 and 13.30. Doctors strongly recommend that your children are immunised.

Minor Surgery - We offer a comprehensive range of minor surgical procedures, performed by the doctors, in our treatment room. Any of the doctors can discuss the specific details of these with you.

Family Planning - All the doctors are able to provide contraception advice. The practice nurses can also offer help and answer any questions you may have.

Are you still waiting for your FLU VACCINE?

Call the Surgery and ask to speak to Reception 01229 402630

There will be some changes to this year's flu vaccination program with a new nasal spray available for 2 to 4-year old children. We are also offering flu vaccinations for Primary School children please ask at Reception.

Clinic times will be displayed in the Surgery and here on the website.

Shingles vaccination is also to be offer to patients for the first time but only to those who are aged 70, 78 or 79. Again please be assured letters will be sent to eligible patients and clinic times will be displayed in the Surgery and here on the website.

Pneumococcal vaccinations will be offered again this year to eligible patients, this is normally given once a lifetime with a small number of 'at risk' patients needing a booster after 5 to 10 years.

Flu vaccination eligibility criteria:

Chronic respiratory disease

Chronic heart disease

Chronic liver disease

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic neurological disease

Diabetes

Immunosupression

All children with the above conditions aged 6 months or older

All patients over 65 years

People living in long-stay residential care home or other long stay facilities

Carers ( where the cared for person's welfare would be at risk if the carer should fall ill)

All pregnant ladies at any stage of pregnancy

All front line healthcare workersHealth & social care staff who are in direct contact with patients/clients should be vaccinated by their employer as a part of an Occupational Health Program.

WE NOW HAVE OUR FLU VACCINATIONS IN STOCK...

IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE PLEASE CALL THE SURGERY ON 01229 402630 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

Travel Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible - at least 6 weeks before you travel - as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Travel Health Questionnaire

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please fill out the online form before coming to see the nurse.

Family Planning

Advice about Contraception

If you require help and advise on contraception or family planning make an appointment with either your doctor, or one of the Practice Nurses Jane or Michelle.

Intrauterine devices (coils) and Contraceptive implants

Intrauterine devices (coils) are fitted by Dr Robinson. The doctor or nurse whom you consult initially will make the appropriate appointments for you to arrange the coil fitting. Drs Green, Robinson & Harvey also fit contraceptive implants and appointments for these are also usually made after your initial consultation.

Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception is available directly from pharmacists. If you would like emergency contraception from the practice you need to make an urgent appointment or urgent telephone consultation with a doctor, nurse practitioner or contraception nurse.

Emergency contraception needs to be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sexual intercourse within a maximum of 72 hrs.

The coil can be used as emergency contraception if you fall outside the 72 hrs. Your doctor, nurse practitioner or contraception nurse will advise you of your options.

Pregnancy

If you have concerns or a medical condition that could affect your pregnancy, please make an appointment to discuss these with your doctor. Most couples will conceive within a 12 month period of trying to. If you have not and you are worried, it is best to consult your doctor about this.

About Folic Acid

You should start taking folic acid tablets before becoming pregnant (from the time you plan to become pregnant). If the pregnancy is unplanned then start taking folic acid tablets as soon as you know that you are pregnant. For most women the dose is 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) a day and is available from pharmacies. If your risk of having a child with a spinal cord problem is increased then the dose is higher (5 mg a day - you need a prescription for this higher dose). That is, if:

you have had a previously affected pregnancy.

your partner, or a first-degree relative, have a spinal cord defect.

you have coeliac disease (as your intake of folate may be affected by this condition).

you are taking medication for epilepsy.

you have sickle cell anaemia or thalassaemia

Antenatal Care

Care during pregnancy is shared by your GP and the Community Midwife team. When you realise that you are pregnant, you need to see your doctor for a 'booking appointment'. This is usually done between 6 and 8 weeks into the pregnancy. The weeks of pregnancy are counted from the first day of your last menstrual period.

You should start taking folic acid supplements as soon as you realise that you are pregnant.

Pregnancy also means that you should abstain from alcohol consumption and smoking.

Your next appointment is held at Maternity Unit, Furness General Hospital (FGH) and includes an ultrasound scan, blood tests and a discussion about antenatal classes. This is done at 10-12 weeks gestation. A further ultrasound scan is done is done at 20 weeks gestation.

By alternating between seeing your doctor and midwife it means that both your doctor and the midwife team are able to follow your progress through your pregnancy.

The maternity unit of the Furness General Hospital (FGH) is the obstetric centre for this area. Your doctor and midwife will discuss your options with you.

New health checks now available

The NHS is offering free health checks to adults aged 40-74 once every five years. The check is to assess your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease or diabetes. If there are warning signs, then together we can do something about it. There is good evidence that by taking early action you can improve your health and prevent the onset of these conditions. If you are already diagnosed with a chronic disease then this check-up is not applicable to you.

The check should take about 20-30 minutes and is based on straightforward questions and measurements such as age, sex, family history, height, weight and blood pressure. There will also be a simple blood test to measure your cholesterol level.

If you fit the above criteria and would like to take up this opportunity, please contact the surgery on 01229 402630 to arrange an appointment.

Upon booking an appointment, there are some forms that we ask you print off and read/complete where appropriate. The links to these are below:

Please make an appointment with the GP or Practice Nurse if you require any general sexual health advice, testing for sexually transmitted infections, advice regarding contraception - including emergency contraception, or any advice about pregnancy testing and smears.

You may also wish to contact Birchwood Sexual Health Clinic based at the hospital -